Between two wedding venues: in budget yet gaudy vs. expensive yet rustic

It really depends. I think the gaudy one doesn't look that gaudy, gold accents are really trendy right now. Especially if you can rent neutral linens & chairs to counteract the gold touches. Then you can spend more on things guests care about a little more, like alcohol & food & DJ.

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Thank you FutureMrsD for your feedback! Yeah i wasn't sure if the gaudy-ness was in my head since I am a bit more peculiar with design but if the guests don't think that, I feel more at ease. And you are right, the food, DJ and misc stuff will be amazing for the guests!

This is a tough one. I personally don't think the less expensive venue is gaudy, but you said it's not your style, which I totally get. I do think the more rustic venue looks great, and is my personal style as well. However, their pricing is crazy! Obviously I don't know what your date is or how close you are to your date. And you mentioned being tired of shopping for a venue. That being said, I would maybe try looking for somewhere entirely different. If more rustic and minimal is really what you're going for, I would try to stick to that and find somewhere that works for both your vision and your budget. If these are your only 2 options and you had to choose between these, I personally would choose the more glam venue and try to make it more rustic, if that makes sense.

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I don't think so! It looks a lot like most east coast wedding venues to me. At least the ones we have been to. I think adding normal (not gold) chairs and not having gold chargers would make it a lot less "in your face". Plus adding something like greenery to tone it all down.

This completely depends on what's important to you and your budget. If you can afford the more rustic one and don't mind spending the money, then go for it. If you'll be over extending yourselves and/or not able to host your guests well by going with the more expensive venue, then I wouldn't make that choice. Honestly, I like the look of the ballroom-type venue much more, but this is absolutely a personal preference. But, if financially it's a stretch (and a minimum of a $7000 difference is a lot of money to me), I'd either keep looking or go with the other venue. At the end of the day, it's a party. Only you and FH can decide what you're willing to spend for that party.

Aww the less expensive one isn’t gaudy at all. I absolutely hate glam and I’d be fine with that, you could tone it down. The lighting fixtures are really modern and chic, it looks like a blank canvas to me. How about instead of trying to force rustic into the space or live with the glam look you make it look antique? The gold would pair so well with more muted tones or even distresses elements. This is a great space with a lot of potential.

I don’t think the “gaudy” venue is that bad. I think you can tone down the gold if that’s your concern. If you don’t want to spend the extra money then I would go with that. You will have more money to decorate

This is so funny, because it really is about personal preferences and perceptions. The rustic venue OP likes more looks exactly like my aunt's backyard where we routinely have family parties. It's nice, but not what I picture for a wedding. I also agree, there are lots of very easy things you can do to reduce the "glitziness" of the ballroom venue. Good luck!

You could really beat down the glam in the cheaper one!? Choose more rustic colors and items

I actually really like the glam one, but it all falls to personal preference and what you envision on your wedding day! 😅

I think the less expensive one is beautiful, but it's really up to whether you think the compromise on style is worth the extra money saved. Maybe you can tone it down with some decor of your own like some classy-rustic centerpieces or something to make it more your style.

It really is all perspective. I think that the glam one looks amazing & really wasn't feeling the rustic - but it's you & ur FS wedding so it's your decisions to make, Either one will be beautiful.

BTW, our wedding venue has the same gold chairs, but white seats haha!

I think the one that you called "gaudy" is very nice and looks more like a blank slate. I think you could do a lot with it to make it look more your style. I'm not a fan of the "rustic" one you posted.

I love the gold one. Don’t really see any wow in the rustic one for the money you would be paying. Just switch out the chairs, use more greenery and candles as centerpieces, and use folded napkins instead of gold chargers. Might be biased cause my colors are white and gold, call me tacky lol

I think the less expensive one looks a lot more like a reception space than the more expensive one. However...it’s your day! If you can cut costs elsewhere to stay more in budget, go for it. I do not think it’s gaudy whatsoever though.

I like the "glam" venue, and I don't think it looks "gaudy" at all!! I agree with PPs here that there's a lot you can do to tone it down, and add elements that are more your style.

If these are your two choices, I'd go with the glam, just to save the crazy amount of money. Imagine having that amount of money to enhance your guest experience!! This would be an easy decision for me.

Also, the "rustic" venue you show here? I look at it and think "boring." Just my opinion. It looks peaceful, but has no personality. Hope that helps.

Hi! Glam and gold not my thing! We have a farm venue so obviously I’m on the side of the first one. We could have saved a bundle on a venue like your glam one but I’m only doing this once so it was worth it. Now I just have to pay it off😂

I think the "gaudy" venue looks very tasteful and chic! I was expecting the photo to be WAY more over the top lol. As someone else mentioned, the "rustic" venue looks like a suburban backyard. $7,000 is a huge price difference and just doesn't seem worth it. Also, if you think they're nickle and diming you now, they will for sure surprise you with unexpected costs closer the wedding...

The cheaper one is, actually, by far my favorite of the two! My wedding has a TON of glam in it, though. Gold accents are super in right now, and I think that venue is beautiful! Even if it wasn't my style, saving $7,000 would be my preference! You could find ways to tone down the glam as well.

The cheaper one is lovely and you could do a lot with it. But... it’s your wedding and I think you should love it. Is a Friday night cheaper? Or what about a Sunday brunch or early evening? I’d go for your dream venue but tell them your 2nd choice is $7K-$10K cheaper and you need some creative options. Most venues won’t negotiate for a Saturday night wedding in high-season, but will for other days & months.

We saved over 50% on our dream venue’s site fees by choosing a weekday night + off-season. If we had done brunch, we may have saved 30-50% off food but we really wanted an evening wedding. You CAN make your dream work!